Grant: Rangers' relegation to wild card status not a death sentence

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Louis DeLuca/Staff Photographer

BREAKING DOWN THE RANGERS' MONUMENTAL COLLAPSE: Heading into Wednesday, the Rangers had owned sole possession of 1st place in the AL West since April 8. The Oakland A's hadn't led the division for even a single day. But none of that mattered after Oakland had put the finishing touches on a 12-5 win. The Rangers led the A's by five games with nine to go, but a 2-7 finish (coupled with an 8-1 stretch by Oakland) capped one of the biggest collapses in MLB history. How did it come to this? Here's a look back at 10 crucial missed opportunities over the Rangers' nightmarish final month.

OAKLAND, Calif. — Without even the heart-wrenching drama of a Bucky Dent homer or a “Shot Heard ’Round the World,” the Rangers finished off one of the most epic pennant race collapses in baseball history Wednesday.

And in a matter of three days, it could matter not one whit.

By the grace of God, or as he’s known in baseball circles — Bud Selig — the Rangers can quickly wipe away the sorrows of a 12-5 loss to Oakland in Wednesday’s regular-season finale, which completed a three-game sweep and knocked the Rangers out of first place for the first time since the season’s third game. All they have to do is win a game at home on Friday.

As part of the new, expanded MLB playoffs, the two wild card teams will play an elimination game on Friday at 7:37 p.m. Right-hander Yu Darvish, the Rangers’ ace over the final two months of the season, will start for Texas as it hosts the Baltimore Orioles in Arlington.

The winner advances to the AL Division Series as if nothing happened. In fact, because MLB acted so hurriedly to shove the extra wild card game into the 2012 season, the playoff schedule had to be compacted and the wild card winner will host the first two games of the Division Series before playing up to the final three, if necessary, on the road.

“You never know,” said outfielder Josh Hamilton, whose dropped fly ball was the most costly Ranger mistake on a day full of them. “This could be a blessing in disguise.”

If so, it’s been wrapped under layer upon layer of makeup.

The Rangers, who were supposed to duel with the free-spending Los Angeles Angels for the AL West title, led Oakland by 13 games on June 30. After splitting a pair of games with Oakland in Arlington last week, the Rangers led by five games with nine to play. And they came to Oakland needing just one win in three days to salt away their third consecutive division title.

It was not to happen. Rookie Martin Perez fell behind early on Monday, and the Rangers’ offense did nothing with a scant few chances in a 4-3 loss. The A’s win clinched a playoff berth for Oakland, whose players partied deep into the night. They overcame their hangovers Tuesday to smother the Rangers in a 3-1 win that forged the tie atop the division and set up Wednesday’s “winner-take-almost everything” game.

The Rangers finally did execute with runners on base, at least for an inning, scoring five times in the third to knock starter A.J. Griffin out of the game and take a 5-1 lead. It lasted until the bottom of the fourth. Right-hander Ryan Dempster allowed a leadoff walk and then three straight hits to put the A’s within two runs and force him from the game. Left-hander Derek Holland allowed a two-out, two-run double to tie the game. Holland got Yoenis Cespedes to pop up to center field for what appeared to be the final out. Hamilton, however, said he ran hard all the way to the ball, stopped short and then found himself reaching back for it. It meant taking his eyes off the ball, which clanked off his glove and fell in for a two-run error.

“I didn’t lose it in the sun,” Hamilton said. “There is no excuse for it.”

From that point on, the A’s simply dominated the game. It left the Rangers with a bitter taste, but unlike the end of last year’s World Series, they don’t have to wait all offseason to wash it away. That chance comes Friday.

“I’m disappointed,” manager Ron Washington said. “You play all year to win the division title and you don’t win it. But we’ve still got an opportunity. If we can win [Friday], once the playoffs begin, you never know what can happen.”

Washington should know. The Rangers played a wild card team in the World Series last year. St. Louis walked away as world champions.

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